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Published on 04/11/2011 at Mon Apr 11 06:45.
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SPEAK UP: What drafting method should Denver take?

Posted Mon Apr 11th by

There has always been a debate on whether a team should draft out of need or the best player available. The 2008 Draft is the perfect example of this dilemma.

What drafting method should Denver take?

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Production now

In 2008 the Carolina Panthers selected Jonathan Stewart in the first round because he was the best player available despite the fact the fact that they had DeAngelo Williams on the roster. The Panthers went on to have one of the most dynamic rushing attacks the NFL in 2009 with Stewart averaging 5.1 yards a rush.

However, the Panthers have struggled terribly at the quarterback position, even in 2007 the Panthers had 4 different starting quarterbacks in one season. Many have aruged that Joe Flacco, who was taken by the Ravens 5 spots later, should have been the pick. Flacco though was not considered the best player available due to his experience playing at a smaller school and at a lower tier of Divison-I football.

Production later

With the 23rd overall pick of the 2008 draft the Pittsburgh Steelers selected Rashard Mendenhall even though Willie Parker had just come off an 1,316 yard season, which included a league leading eight 100 yard games. Mendenhall only had 58 yards rushing his rookie year, hardly an example of receiving an immediate return on an investment.

With the decline Parker’s performance in 2008 (791 yards), the Steelers were forced to give Mendenhall more a role in 2009. When given his opportunity, Mendenhall rose to the occasion with 1,108 rushing yards in 2009 and improved again with 1,273 yards in 2010.

Production never

Twenty selections after Rashard Mendenhall later the Pittsburgh Steelers selected wide receiver Limas Sweed from Texas. Several draft analysts had Sweed rated as the top receiver of the draft and the Steelers were praised for having selected him 53rd overall at such a great value.

The Steelers were not hurting at wide receiver with Hines Ward and tight end Heath Miller on the roster but they went with the best player available like always. So far in his career Sweed has accumulated 7 receptions for 69 yards with two fumbles, zero touchdowns, and zero starts

What do you think Bronco nation? What drafting technique should the Broncos take?

  • Jasonandrew76

    I wouldnt mind Patrick Peterson, but how long has it been since we have had a presence on the DLine? The answer is since Trevor Pryce left. Im pulling for Dareus. This pick is long overdue. Even Champ cant cover all day. If we could land Dareus and Peae along with getting Doom back our DLine could be a force. And, I also think Ayers is going to blossom real soon. A return to his natural position could be just what the doctor ordered.

  • Peter

    Last year I wanted center Pouncy as our first pick. He filled a need and I thought was the best player avaliable at his position. Steelers took him and he had a great rookie season. That's a point. The two are not always seperate.
    This year we need a D line in the worst way. I also want Dareus, big time. Peterson would be great, but more of a luxury at this point. With a great D line our secondary will look better, whoever is back there. Next year there will be another good CB to draft. We are not going to the Super Bowl today.

  • MrEast

    I agree that the two are not always separate. Last year the Lions needed a dominate DT and Suh was the best player available as well. However, that situation is less common outside of the first round.

    I do not agree though with the sentiment that “next year there will be another good CB to draft.” That is basically saying that you shouldn't draft Champ Bailey high this year because you can get Ahmed Plummer or Deltha O'Neal next year.

    There is no guarantee that Peterson will be a Champ Bailey type player, but it is important to have the right scouts to notice the guys who have who can be future hall of famers or perennial Pro Bowlers.

    Right now I'd much rather have the Broncos take Patrick Peterson if they feel like Marcel Dareus or Nick Fairley aren't potential Pro Bowlers.

    Needs be damned, it doesn't matter if you selected by need if the guy who you select sucks.

  • flbronc

    i went with best avail… only because there wasn't a button for 'best defensive player available'.

  • Danno

    Take Dareus because we are not just weak at defensive tackle…We are also weak at middle linebacker.

    Don't be surprised if Orton gets traded, and we go after maybe a Cam Newton with an Elway like arm and mobility.

  • TheTroglodyte

    Pittsburgh is a little bit of a different case than draft best player available. They were drafting for need to as they really didn't have any holes except maybe the O-Line.

    Many RB's post career best numbers and then begin a serious decline the following year. The NFL is a two RB league anyway and drafting Mendenhall before they had to have him gave them a chance to work him in with experience.

    Same with Sweed. Ward was getting older and they new Holmes was a time bomb. This gave them a couple of years to start grooming and see what they had.

    Nobody drafts and trains and molds better than the Steelers.

  • mikebirty

    They should filter their draft board to only include guys named Patrick whose family once upon a time were known as the son of Peter.

  • MrEast

    Pittsburgh is well known for drafting best player available. They sometimes trade around to put themselves in the path of that best player available though.

    When the Steelers drafting Mendenhall it was seen as a luxury pick, not selecting by need. If the Steelers were selecting by need then they would have reached on an offensive linemen. The Steelers could have easily done that and then gambled on a 2nd or 3rd round back.

    Sweed was the exact same. Ward may have been getting old and Holmes may have been a time bomb, but those were maybes. Needs don't surface due to maybes, they surface due to lack of production on the field which was not a problem at receiver.

    Sweed was conisdered a gem at 53rd overall so thats why he was taken, plain and simple. After watching him in college it's hard to believe he busted.

    I do agree though, the Steelers are great at the draft, as are the Ravens. That is one of the reasons why that AFC North rivalry is always a Monday night game.

  • TheTroglodyte

    “If the Steelers were selecting by need then they would have reached on an offensive linemen. “

    I think we are saying the same thing just using different terms. It is silly for a team to “reach” unless they are REALLY confident in a player. The Steelers however had other players they could have picked up along the way as luxury picks that could have been best available but they targeted Mendenhall specifically and that had to come at some extent as need based thinking even though it was not a needed pick.

  • crazykid

    the point is that the best players in this draft are defensive haha

  • Ninjaix

    I'm looking hoping for Von Miller then a combo of Paea and Marvin Austin or Brandon Harris. This would give us the pass rush we need along with a great run stuffer and added depth if not another starter at CB or DT. Plus miller can cover gates and moeki and miller all very good TEs in our division. With such a deep draft we need a real beast miller fits that and gifted that dareus is I think we all are putting to much into his draft stock from what he did at the combine. Bj Raji was a better talent but wasnt drafted until he fell to greenbay in he middle of the 1st round. Dareus will be good don't get me wrong but I think the draft is full of DLinemen but not many pass rushing LBs that can cover like Von Miller.

  • Dominic

    Choose patrick peterson for quite a few reasons

    First if we draft him or a dt we are not going to the super bowl because we are going to lack in one or the other so draft peterson give one year under bailey then next year draft a dt in the first round and then we will have good cb and a good line with dumervil and ayers at de and a first round dt and a dt on our roster

    thats what i would do .. Do u agree?

  • Masaga91

    and we need to be serious, peterson is this year draft suh, dareus is good, but not that good, and he became the 2nd overall pick after the combine, and that sounds a little like golsthon a few years ago… peterson dominated SEC for 3 years

  • WhidbeyBronco

    i would have voted this as well.
    You can go with best player we need…
    DEFENSE
    Peterson.

  • jdkchem

    There are so many holes on the roster just about every position is a position of need.

  • 5280

    Ward, Miller, and Holmes is all they had. If you look at the premier teams in the league with depth at reciver they at least 5 or 6 starters on the roster(colts, packers, patriots etc.). so that tells me that they neede a reciever and on top of that EVERYONE knew that willie parker ws not going to be the type of back to carry the ball 25 to 30 times a game and be an every down back. they were just using what they had until they could fill the void that jerome bettis left behind and mendenhall was a perfect pick for that. the offensive line was a need that they filled last year in the draft with pouncy. the steeler are obviously a need first drafting team and all so thats something thats left up to people opinions. bottom line. need is the best method of drafting and then you draft best player available according to need(with the broncos thats obviously defence).

    Peterson is a great player, but to say that each one of these players isnt considered to be a potential pro bowler means that you havnt been paying attention. mayock actually has dareus as the number one PLAYER in the country, followed by von miller, and then patrick peterson. So its really a matter of opinion. to say peterson had a better college career then dareus or miller is debatable. dareus had an outstanding career and von miller had a good one too, but when you talk about versatility you would have to put miller ahead of the other two because of his ability to put his hand in the dirty and rush the passer while at the same time being able to drop back into coverage or run sideline to sideline. I think theres more expected out of miller then peterson. at most, in early in his career, peterson will be expected to play man to man and and occasionally play some nickle. miller will be expectd to rush the QB from everywhere within the front seven, he will be expect to drop back to cover tight ends and slot recievers, and he will be expected to run sideline to sideline and make tackles on the running back, all from the second he is drafted. peterson wont have to get in and hit anybody really until 3 or 4 years down the line. peterson obviously has return ability but we'll see how far that goes considering the new spot of the ball on kick offs. I think denvers #1 concern should be the ability to rush the passer. they just got rid of bannan and williams, they need to fill those voids.

  • MrEast

    My fears exactly.

  • MrEast

    What I mean to say is that the Steelers don't “reach” on anyone. Even if the Steelers are truly confident in a player when other teams are not they trade into that player's path instead of selecting him early, see Mike Wallace. The Steelers could have easily selected Mike Wallace earlier than he was expected to go but instead the traded with Denver and picked him up later on.

  • JackfnBurton

    How about the “Fix the Damn Defense Immediately or I Start Rooting for Atlanta” method?

  • MrEast

    Ward, Miller, and Holmes are three all-star players. That's more than adequate for any team. All the teams you mentioned as examples of receiver depth are exactly like the Steelers in that aspect. The Patriots only had Randy Moss and Wes Welker as premier receivers. The Colts only hav Reggie Wayne as a premier receiver. The Packers only have Greg Jennings and Donald Driver. I would hardly call Austin Collie, Blair White, Pierre Garcon, Brandon Tate, and Sam Aiken premier receivers.

    The picks the Steelers made were “needs” in the fact that eventually Hines Ward and Willie Parker won't be on the team anymore. However, they were not immediate needs, those picks were ones of luxury. Hines Ward is still around and you could have easily drafted a back in the later rounds. Take

    Whereas I completely agree with you on the Peterson vs. Dareus controversy, it is all a matter of opinion. Mike Mayock is a great source and has been known to be right a lot of times, but he has been way off base as well. The Broncos need to do their homework and do it well. If the front office believes that Dareus is better than Peterson then I will give them the benefit of the doubt for the time being. I don't want them selecting Dareus out of need even if they believe Peterson is the better choice.

    The way the draft should work is that if you take the best player available, then after a couple of drafts you will have all the best players available. That's how the Ravens, Steelers, and Colts all operate. Those teams rarely miss the playoffs, they rarely have losing seasons, and they all have Super Bowl wins in the 2000s.

  • 5280

    Atlanta? why atlanta?

  • 5280

    i understand the thought process behind drafting best player available, i just disagree with it and i disagree that those same teams you mentioned that use that stratagy actually use it. This year, if the best player available at number 2 this year was a running back it wouldnt make much sence for denver to draft him because of the SEVERE need on defence. I just think you need to evaluate what you need first, and then take the best player at that postition.

    on any other team, the recievers the patriots, colts, and packers have would be #1 or #2 recievers. the colts have more talent then you mentioned and so do the pack. reggie wayne, dallas clark, pierre garcon, anthony gonzales, and austin collie are all viable #1's or #2's on any other team. Same goes for greg jennings, donald driver, jordy nelson, donald lee, and especially jermicheal finnley. again, all viable #1's or #2's.. the steelers are a run first team. therefore they dont need all of those recievers. Running back is a postion they need to keep filled with good talent at all times. all of those teams you mentioned have one thing in common and that is a tough defence.. I think that it isnt so much that they rely on drafting the best player available as it is that they make sure they kepp their defences fast and physical in all aspects. i think that is what denver should focus on in all of the drafts they have. make sure to get what you need but ALWAYS make sure your defence stays young, fast, and physical.

  • MrEast

    If the best player available at number two was a running back, he'd be one hell of a running back, see Adrian Peterson. The Vikings didn't need a running back, Chester Taylor just had a 1,216 yard season. Picking Adrian Peterson was solely out of him being the best player available and it hasn't look bad ever.

    I don't really believe that Pierre Garcon, Austin Collie, Anthony Gonzales, Jordy Nelson, Donald Lee, and especially Jermichael Finely are number ones one any team (outside of the Rams and Redskins) and perhaps number twos on some teams. The reason why these guys produce well is their quarterbacks, both of them are Super Bowl MVPs.

    Also, it doesn't matter if your defense is young, fast, and physical if they're not any good. The Patriots' defenses of the past have been littered with veterans.

  • 5280

    Atlanta? why atlanta?

  • 5280

    i understand the thought process behind drafting best player available, i just disagree with it and i disagree that those same teams you mentioned that use that stratagy actually use it. This year, if the best player available at number 2 this year was a running back it wouldnt make much sence for denver to draft him because of the SEVERE need on defence. I just think you need to evaluate what you need first, and then take the best player at that postition.

    on any other team, the recievers the patriots, colts, and packers have would be #1 or #2 recievers. the colts have more talent then you mentioned and so do the pack. reggie wayne, dallas clark, pierre garcon, anthony gonzales, and austin collie are all viable #1's or #2's on any other team. Same goes for greg jennings, donald driver, jordy nelson, donald lee, and especially jermicheal finnley. again, all viable #1's or #2's.. the steelers are a run first team. therefore they dont need all of those recievers. Running back is a postion they need to keep filled with good talent at all times. all of those teams you mentioned have one thing in common and that is a tough defence.. I think that it isnt so much that they rely on drafting the best player available as it is that they make sure they kepp their defences fast and physical in all aspects. i think that is what denver should focus on in all of the drafts they have. make sure to get what you need but ALWAYS make sure your defence stays young, fast, and physical.

  • MrEast

    If the best player available at number two was a running back, he'd be one hell of a running back, see Adrian Peterson. The Vikings didn't need a running back, Chester Taylor just had a 1,216 yard season. Picking Adrian Peterson was solely out of him being the best player available and it hasn't look bad ever.

    I don't really believe that Pierre Garcon, Austin Collie, Anthony Gonzales, Jordy Nelson, Donald Lee, and especially Jermichael Finely are number ones one any team (outside of the Rams and Redskins) and perhaps number twos on some teams. The reason why these guys produce well is their quarterbacks, both of them are Super Bowl MVPs.

    Also, it doesn't matter if your defense is young, fast, and physical if they're not any good. The Patriots' defenses of the past have been littered with veterans.